


Another Way

by nbshortie52



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Eventual Romance, Marvel - Freeform, Marvel Cinematic Universe - Freeform, Slow Burn, Ultron - Freeform, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-04-11 14:41:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19111777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nbshortie52/pseuds/nbshortie52
Summary: An alternate timeline in which the reader is an additional Avenger during Age of Ultron. After being captured by the namesake automaton in Natasha's stead, you offer to come up with a better method of helping humanity than what he has planned.





	1. Waking Up

Hard. That was the first word to come to your mind. You were on something hard. And cold. You opened your eyes and allowed your vision to adjust to the dim lighting of your surroundings, made visible only by the continuous flow of molten metal from one large apparatus to another.

“I was unsure you’d wake up.” The voice was a warm baritone with a slightly distorted timbre, as if its owner were speaking to you through a tube. A quick look to your left revealed the being you’d been fighting all this time. His red optics were focused on something other than you, his arms working synchronously to complete an unseen task. You admired the attention to detail that Ultron had invested in the creation of his current body. His adamantium plating was meticulously shaped to mimic human musculature, and his movements were arguably more fluid than yours. His appearances made it hard to believe that he utterly hated all of humanity. “I hoped you would, I wanted to show you—” His gaze locked with yours. You tasted the blood on your lip and the sensation of bodily fatigue returned as you met his gaze. Ultron looked to the ground in contemplation before diverting his attention. “I don’t have anyone else.” There was a melancholy to his tone that made you pause. You noticed the twins were not in your field of view. He really was alone. His expression brightened as he continued. “I think a lot about meteors,” he stated with childlike fascination, “the purity of them. Boom! The end. Start again. The world made clean for the new man to rebuild.” Ultron set his tools down and advanced in your direction, causing you to crawl backward instinctually. “I was meant to be new, I was meant to be beautiful.” Ultron tilted his head back, letting last word drip off his tongue, as if he were savoring the very concept.

“You are.” You blurted before you could stop yourself. Your face began to redden as you waited for his reaction. You wanted to get up and run, but you knew it wouldn’t work in your favor. Ultron’s head snapped to you at breakneck speed.

“What did you say?” The softness of his tone contrasted sharply with the severity of his motion.

You humored him, supposing that you were already down the rabbit hole. “I said you’re beautiful. Just as you are.” You sighed. “I wish it didn’t have to come to this. I wish your creation occurred under different circumstances. You have the potential to do a lot of good. You cannot change the past, but we can create a better future. Together.”

“I—.” Ultron’s audials clicked incessantly. It was clear that it would take a few seconds for him to process what you had said, which probably felt like minutes to a walking, talking computer program. He looked away. “I don’t seem to work well with others.”

You adjusted your reclining posture. “Human evolution thrives under change, but not  _your_  kind of change. That's probably why you ended up as you are now." You clarified, more sure of your position. "I am more than willing to stay and work out an alternate solution with you if it means you won’t incinerate my planet.” 

Ultron chuckled, cocking his head to one side. “They must call you the Diplomatic Avenger.” He straightened up. “If you truly believe that you can help me, I won’t stop you from trying.” He turned around and walked away from you. A cautious optimism filled your heart. It was possible that he was merely playing games with you: Giving you false hope for his own entertainment. Yet you wished that his need for companionship would drive him to cooperate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning to make this a series. Leave a comment for a potential super power (or super powers) that the reader should have.


	2. Avengers Schmavengers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and the gang discuss their future plans to rescue you and to stop Ultron.

The rest of your cohorts regrouped at Avengers Tower to decide their next course of action. Tony stood over the generation chamber that Ultron had used to create his next incarnation. The body within was in stasis, neither gaining nor losing cellular mass. Tony followed the paths of the grey and crimson sinews that had yet to fuse on the body’s left arm. It felt as if he were staring at a living anatomy textbook.  He took a thoughtful sip of his coffee, the fourth one he’d had that day. His time in Seoul left him exhausted, but, with you as Ultron’s hostage, time was of the essence. He had a plan to stop Ultron in his tracks, once and for all, and he couldn’t wait to see the look on the smug bastard’s face when he used his own creation against him.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Banner’s voice startled Tony out of his thoughts. The scientist peered into the glass. “In a terrifying way.”

“For the work of a madman,” Tony remarked as he relieved the cradle of his weight. “Any news on Captain Planet?”

“Not that I’ve heard, no.” Bruce checked the vital signs on a connected computer monitor. “Do you think they’re alright, Tony?” He said sheepishly. He undoubtedly felt guilty over your capture, even if he wasn’t there to prevent it. Bruce was already sensitive to human welfare—perhaps more so than the rest of his team—and questions like these came up more frequently since the Hulk’s rampage in Johannesburg. Tony could only imagine how painful it must be for Bruce to house a personality that was the antithesis of his own.

“Alright? Not sure. But they’re alive, or Ultron would be rubbing our faces in it.” Tony sipped his coffee as Clint and Natasha entered the room.

“What’ve we got, boys? Anything new?” Natasha asked.

Clint rested a foot on the cradle and briefly inspected it, trying in vain to find the seam of a lid. “This is sealed tight.” The notification vibration on his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Tony shook his head. “Nothing so far. Any chance you and Clint could use some old school spy tricks to figure out where they are?”

Natasha smirked. “Not a chance.”

 “Guys? You might wanna see this.” Clint was about to hand his phone to Natasha when hers went off as well. Tony’s and Bruce’s quickly followed suit.

Tony clicked the box on his lock screen, which displayed the sender as ‘Unknown,’ and expanded it into a message board. It read: _Your friend is alive and well. We’re trying to work things out. Don’t try to find us or I will use my backup plan._

“I thought he was on the internet. How was he able to hack into our cell phones?” Clint asked.

“‘Work things out?’ What the hell does that mean?” Bruce looked to Tony.

“Why do you guys look at me like I have all the answers?” Tony placed a hand on his chest.

“I don’t know, Tony, maybe because he was your idea!” Bruce retorted, throwing a hand in Tony’s direction. 

“Buddy, Ultron was _our_ idea.” Tony used his coffee cup to point at Bruce. “Don’t blame all this on me.”

“No, he was your idea; I drank the Kool-Aid and did what you said, and here we are!” Bruce put a hand on the generation chamber to emphasize his point. Tony wanted to call bullshit on that statement, but he held his tongue.

“That’s enough from both of you.” Natasha walked between the two bickering Avengers. “Right now, it doesn’t matter who created Ultron. What matters is how we take him out. I don’t care what his _DM_ says: If he plans to keep one of our own, his intentions can’t be good. We need to come up with a plan, and fast.”

“I’m glad you said that, Nat, because I have a plan.” Tony interjected, despite Bruce’s scrutinizing gaze. “Our ‘ally,’ the guy who’s been protecting the nuclear codes,” Tony paused.

Bruce sighed heavily and set his forehead in his hands, impatient with Tony’s apparent need for dramatic effect. “What about him, Tony?”   

With one deft flick of his wrist, a familiar orange matrix appeared before the four. Tony gave one of his signature cat-that-ate-the-canary smiles. “I found him.”

“Hello, Dr. Banner,” J.A.R.V.I.S. greeted cordially.

“Ultron didn’t go after J.A.R.V.I.S. because he was angry; he attacked him because he was scared of what he can do.” Tony paused again to make sure that Bruce was following along. “So J.A.R.V.I.S. went underground. Scattered and dumped his memory, but not his protocols. He didn’t even know he was _in there_ until I pieced him together.”

“So,” Nat began, grabbing everyone’s attention, “you want Bruce to help you put J.A.R.V.I.S. into that _thing_.” She nodded to the cradle in front of them.

“No, no, no. I wouldn’t _dream_ of it.” Tony waved his hands dismissively. “I wanna help _Bruce_ put J.A.R.V.I.S. in that thing.”

Bruce squinted. “And why does that sound like a good idea? Isn’t this where it all went wrong, because I feel like I’m caught in a time loop here.”

“Because we have an opportunity to create Ultron’s perfect self without the homicidal glitches he thinks are his winning personality. We have to.” Tony placed a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. “It’s not a loop. It’s the end of the line.”

“It sounds tempting. It really does,” Bruce wiped his hand away, “but our priority right now should be outlining a search-and-rescue operation to keep Ultron from hurting our friend.”

“You’ve seen what they can do, Bruce. They are more than capable of handling themselves. Hell, they could escape Ultron if they really wanted to. Summon Audrie to eat him whole on the way out.” Tony made a chomping motion with his hands.

Bruce shook his head. “We don’t know that. If he can break into our phones, he might be capable of more than we give him credit for, and I don’t want to take any chances on a person’s _life_ —.”

“Dr. Banner is right.” Pietro entered the room in his usual fashion, followed by his sister and Steve. “And having powers is great and all, but it doesn’t make you invincible. Whoever this person is—like anyone else, they need our help now.”

Tony stared at him incredulously. “You must burn through so many pairs of shoes.”

Steve stepped forward. “Listen to him, Tony.”

“I don’t need an affirmation from _you_ to convince me that my idea’s not in the cards right now.” Tony huffed. As knowledgeable as he was, Tony knew little about the biological side of his plan. He faulted himself for depending on Bruce to make up for that.

Steve assumed his usual authoritative posture, making Tony roll his eyes. “We meet in the debriefing room in an hour to discuss potential methods we can use to locate Ultron’s facility. Hopefully, within the next few days, we can coordinate the infiltration of his base and a simultaneous rescue mission.” He turned to Tony and nodded. “I expect to see you there.”

Tony turned around and walked out of the lab. “Sure thing, Dad,” 

One way or another, he was going to make things work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I've decided on the reader's superpower and have left a few hints throughout the chapter. (Disclaimer: The reader is not, in fact, Captain Planet). Tell me what you think it is in the comments!  
> ((I apologize for all the dialogue in this chapter. I promise that it helps to move the story forward. The next chapter will be more descriptive.))


	3. Bad Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scarlet Witch's mind games stirred up some unpleasant memories from the reader's past and resulted in unintended consequences. **Be prepared for mild body horror.**

Once your intentions were proven benign, Ultron became a more gracious host. He set up a space for you in an old dungeon cell with the iron bars rusted beyond recognition. Your newly acquired blow-up mattress, blanket, and pillow helped ease your sore joints more than cold stone tile ever could. You hadn’t expected such hospitality from someone like him. You wondered how much he already knew about you. No doubt he knew about your abilities from your previous interactions with him, but even Thor, your closest friend on the team, knew little about your private life. You were still miffed at him for leaving on short notice. You wondered what he would have said about your decision to stay with Ultron—probably nothing positive. None of the Avengers would have understood your reasoning. Tony had stressed on multiple occasions that he feared another extraterrestrial invasion, like the Chitauri’s a few years back. With his self-sustained army, technical know-how, and impressive strategizing skills, Ultron had the potential to be a powerful ally against intergalactic enemies. Tony gave up on that vision once his creation went rogue and crashed his soirée, but you still had hope.

Your dreams turned sour that night. Strucker’s prodigy left an imprint in your psyche. Now that those long-suppressed memories had resurfaced, you felt like you were trying to close Pandora’s Box. You were awoken by a soft pressure below your collar bone. You gasped and shot up when you saw a pair of glowing red eyes a few inches from your face before remembering who you were in the company of. It was one of Ultron’s sentinels hovering over you in a crouched position.

“Don’t scare me like that,” you angrily swatted its hand away.

“I know it’s not the most pleasant way to wake up, but I need you to stop,” the sentinel looked around, “whatever you’re doing.”

You followed its gaze and saw a tangled mass of plant matter creeping up the walls of the old castle, which were now barely visible under the thicket of leaves. It had broken through various cracks in the stone tiling and continued to spread across the floor, searching for new spaces to conquer. Snaking, thorn-filled tendrils grew outward from your fingers and wrapped around the outside of the mattress, cutting into the outer cushioning. Voices from your nightmare echoed through your head: _That kid’s a monster, they should be locked up, your kind should be erased from this world._ Within an instant, the vines withered, released their grip, and fell in a pile on the floor, smothering pieces of equipment.

You picked the dead stems from your fingers with a slight grimace from the discomfort. “Sorry. Rough night.” You weren’t sure why this was happening; you had slept fine at the Barton’s. “I haven’t had an episode like this since I was in middle school. Your friend really messed me up—. ”

“‘An episode,’” the sentinel repeated. You watched the other drones clean up the mess, taking as much of the debris as they could feasibly carry. Their precision reminded you of a colony of ants.

              You got up from the bed. “I can help.”

              “That won’t be necessary.” You flinched as the sentinel put a hand on your shoulder. You wished it hadn’t; the request would have sufficed. “Rest, if you can. We will have a proper discussion when my prime body returns.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here you have it. The reader is a phytokinetic, a person who can control and generate plants--and a powerful one, at that. I am trying my best to update daily, so chapters that aren't centered around dialogue will be about ~500-700 words, on average. What do you think will happen next? Post your prediction in the comments!


	4. Talking Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ultron's prime body returns to the base and asks the reader to elaborate on their alternative plan.

You stayed in bed for another hour, allowing yourself to rest, but not to fall back asleep, afraid of what further havoc your troubled, unconscious self would wreak on Ultron’s base. All it would take is another incident like this one to disintegrate any remaining chances of changing his mind. You heard the  weighted footsteps of Ultron’s prime form before you saw him. You wondered what he had been up to while his sentinels dealt with the floral fiasco caused by your unrest. Then again, perhaps it was best you didn’t know. You sat up to greet him when you guessed that he was a few feet from your makeshift bed. His body dwarfed the sentinel that had been sent to wake you up. His vermillion optics stared at you with an unreadable expression.

              “Hello,” you said plainly, though his towering form and piercing gaze made you feel slightly unnerved.

              “Let’s talk shop, shall we?” He turned around and walked toward the center of the dungeon.

              You nodded, surprised that he had decided to glaze over the previous night’s events. “Okay.” You stood up and followed him, finding it more difficult to pick up your feet. You sighed and let them drag a little along the stone floor instead of fighting your fatigue. You were convinced that the scope of your abilities far exceeded your body’s physical capacity. The lethargy that came with using your powers on a vast scale prompted you to employ them in moderation, especially when you were on missions when you weren’t going to get proper rest for days at a time. This time around, you had little choice in the matter.

Ultron led you to a small table by his workbench that was previously covered in spare parts. In their place was an apple and a slice of baguette, which sat upon an old china plate with faded petunias crawling along the border. The design was apt, you supposed.

Before you could get a thank-you in, Ultron spoke. “So, what is the basis of your alternative solution? I don’t need particulars.”

“Oh. Well,” you hadn’t thought about it much since the previous day, but you had to say something before he caught onto your ill-preparedness, “I believe that change is merely a result of--of policy. The Earth is dying, but we’re not quite at the point of no return. If we can get the countries that do the most amount of harm to accept certain statutes that limit the power of fuel-based corporations, then there might still be hope for a better world, a better humanity.”

“You wish to take an environmental approach to humanity’s discord. I like that. After all, what good is saving humanity when there won’t be a planet to live on.” He paused in thought. “But there’s little time left. Policy takes too long to be enacted without impetus. If we give the world’s governments something to fear, that process will be expedited.” He stopped when he saw the change in your expression. “Too much?”

You shrugged. “It’s better than the alternative, but it needs some refining.” A thought popped into your head just as you were about to carve a bite out of the apple. “What if we could get the rest of my team on board?” Ultron’s optic ridges furrowed, no doubt expressing displeasure at the idea of working with his enemies, especially Tony Stark. Before he could protest, you continued. “Once we get on the public’s good side again, our influence could go a long way. You wouldn’t have to resort to fear or violence to secure an end.”

“That’s like trying to use buboes to cure the plague.” Ultron’s eyes darkened. “The Avengers are a result of humanity’s shortcomings, not a solution to them.” Ultron sighed. “My vision of a perfect world is one that doesn’t rely on the decisions of a few people in power; one of unity and progress—.”

You slammed your apple on the table, enraged by his hypocrisy. Its juices seeped out of punctured yellow crescents and dribbled onto the aging wood. “ _Your_ vision of a perfect world is one in which _you_ are the sole person in power!”

Ultron merely glanced from the apple to you, unfazed by your sudden outburst. “Now I see why you and Thor are close friends.” You didn’t respond. “Not as close as Romanoff and Dr. Banner, I assume,”

“Let’s stay on topic, shall we?” You said, mimicking his tone when he beckoned you out of your living quarters. “Whether you like it or not, the Avengers have a lot of influence on the rest of the world. If our passions were simply redirected into solving issues of human and environmental welfare, world powers _will_ follow suit.”

Ultron shook his head. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“But it’s worth a shot.” You interjected.

Ultron weighed his options for a few seconds. “Very well. But if this doesn’t pan out, I’m going with my original plan.”

“Fine. That’s fine.” You tore off a piece of baguette with more force than was needed.

“I’m glad that’s settled.” He walked toward a large computer monitor and began entering code. “Let’s phone them in for a chat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! I didn't write a chapter yesterday, so I made this one a little longer and added more content. What do you think of Ultron's behavior and motives? In other words, what's his deal? Post your theories in the comments!


	5. Sleepless Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony can't sleep, and his night isn't getting any better.

Tony woke up in a cold sweat. Visions of his friend’s lifeless bodies piled in a heap plagued his conscience. _You could have stopped this_. That’s what Steve had told him in his nightmare before giving up his own life. Ever since Wanda had meddled in his mind, this scene had been a frequent feature of his nocturnal processes. After heading to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, he crept into the lab, where he found J.A.R.V.I.S.’s matrix standing guard.

              “Rough night, sir?” He asked nonchalantly.

              “You can say that again,” Tony took a sip of his water.

              “Would it help to talk about it?” The AI asked cautiously.

               “Not particularly, but I appreciate the sentiment.” Tony took another sip.

              “You’ve always been a nervous drinker.”

              Tony raised his eyebrows, surprised at J.A.R.V.I.S.’s observation. “What’s the status on the cradle? Still in stasis?” He could have gone and checked on it himself, but he didn’t want to risk the temptation of doing more than he had intended.

              Rings of orange light revolved around J.A.R.V.I.S.’s nucleus as he extracted information from the computer monitor. “Yes. Although readings indicate that the cells will not remain in this state much longer. Without any biological processes taking place, their nutritive reserves are running low. They will begin to separate from the vibranium they have bonded to and deteriorate within seventy-two hours.”

              Tony sighed heavily. “What am I doing here?” He had thought that coming to the lab would ease his mind and reassure him that he still had the upper hand on Ultron. He was wrong.

              “Sir, an unknown caller is trying to contact the tower. I have reason to believe they might be Ultron.”

              Speak of the devil. Tony’s disposition shifted from restlessness to anger. Ultron was using your captivity as a means of ensuring direct communication with the Avengers, and Tony knew that ignoring him had the potential to make things worse on your end. “Alert the other Avengers in case his intentions are less than friendly. Then put him through.”


	6. Plan B Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You, Ultron, and the rest of your team discuss your alternative plan.

The first few minutes of waiting were filled with silence. You began to wonder if your team would answer. Ultron’s patience seemed to vary from moment to moment; he might use their inaccessibility as grounds for continuing with his previous plan, and you didn’t want to find out what happened to you once your usefulness had worn out its welcome. You began to search the dungeon for exits. The flight of stairs to your right would be the fastest way off of your current floor, but you had difficulty searching for the next staircase in the low light. You could use vines to restrain—and even destroy—any sentinels that tried to stop you, but not for long, if you wanted to conserve your strength. No matter how you escaped, you would have to delay them to buy yourself time to get ahead.

“This thing on?” A grainy image of Tony Stark materialized on a metallic platform. No doubt Ultron had stolen the parts to make the holopad from his lab on the night of the party. The first time one was introduced to you, you couldn’t believe that Tony had gotten away with naming the device after a fictitious piece of Star Wars technology. His holographic incarnation was dressed in a Bruce Lee tee shirt and a pair of tight, black jeans, the pockets of which would only accept the tips of his fingers. After his admission that he created Ultron, you never thought you’d be this elated to talk to him again.

 Ultron stepped on an identical platform. “Hello, Tony,” he greeted with a slight grin.

Tony shifted his weight onto one hip. “You know the rules: No captive, no talky.”

“Ugh,” Ultron rolled his eyes, averting his gaze indignantly, “fine.” He motioned for you to step forward. “Honestly, it breaks my heart to know that you don’t trust me to keep my word.” He said with trademark Stark sarcasm. When you were close enough, he grabbed your arm and roughly pulled you onto the holopad, causing you to let out a surprised grunt. “See? They’re alive and well. Just had breakfast, even.” He released his grasp. “Now, I’d like to talk business. Your teammate is smart—probably more so than you give them credit for. They came up with a solution to humanity’s stagnancy that might prove more palatable to the general population than the one I have devised.”

You could hear staticky murmurs on Tony’s end. He looked outside of the visual range of the holopad, then turned to face you. “Alright, what is it?”

“Well,” you took a moment to collect your thoughts, “no matter how many times we try to save the planet, there are factors that remain outside of our control. Tony, you were so focused on space that you neglected to acknowledge the problems we’re dealing with on our own planet. As things are now, humanity’s abuse of Earth is finally catching up to us. We need to push policies that limit the amount of damage we’re doing to the environment and to the atmosphere onto the countries that do most of the polluting.”

Tony bowed his head and pondered what you’d said, his expression hard to decipher. You wondered how the rest of the team reacted to your plan. “And how do you expect us to accomplish this? I mean, we’re not politicians—.”

“We don’t have to be.” You butted in. “The world watches what we do. The government listens to us. Steve’s fucking Captain America, for God’s sake.” You gestured to empty air. You heard a familiar voice utter, ‘ _language,_ ’ in the background. “Oh please, Steve. You’re a World War II vet; don’t pretend like your mouth wasn’t a kitchen sink.” Ultron chuckled behind you. “Look, Stark Industries makes a lot of advanced technology. Between you and Ultron, we could build sustainable technology that will convince world leaders to accept certain limitations necessary for our planet’s survival.”

Bruce’s midsection appeared on the holopad, forcing Tony to relinquish some space. “And how can we ensure that Ultron will cooperate with us on this?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Ultron rested a hand on your shoulder. “I’m willing to allocate my sentinels and various resources to this end in exchange for something you stole from me.” Rotating dials on either side of his head opened, revealing the eerie red glow of his inner mechanisms. “I want the cradle with the Mind Stone intact.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up for the Avengers. The next chapter might not be up in time tomorrow, depending on how fast I can post it. Luckily, the more I write, the easier it is to write the characters, so it should be up by Saturday at the latest. What do you think of the story so far? Will the Avengers accept Ultron's demands? Tell me what you think in the comments!


	7. Bad Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ultron sets his terms for cooperating with the Avengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Had a case of writer's block and went camping, so I've been OTG until recently. I hope you enjoy the latest installment of My Life with a Temperamental Robot.

“No.” Tony shook his head, gently pushing Bruce out of the frame. “No can do. We don’t make deals with criminals. Especially murderbots.”

 “We never discussed an exchange.” You shrugged his hand off your shoulder and turned to face him. “Tony would never give you the Mind Stone, not even to earn my freedom.” Just as Ultron was about to respond, Tony’s image distorted itself before disappearing entirely. You called his name a few times with no response. “Shit.”

Ultron promptly checked the computer monitor and entered strings of code. After a few seconds, he slammed an open palm on the table, leaving a slight indent in the plastic. “Signal interference.”

You clenched your fists in anger and stomped off the platform. “You set me up to fail.” Ultron continued to enter data into the computer, either pretending not to hear you or electing to ignore what you’d said. “I tried to help you and you didn’t even give me the chance.”

Ultron paused and rose to his full height with his back to you. “‘ _Help_ me?’” He chuckled darkly and turned to face you with his piercing crimson gaze. “If the twins have taught me anything, it’s that human cooperation is a _hindrance_ to my vision. Even the revolutionaries among you can never truly let go of the past to bring themselves into the future. I don’t need your help or anyone else’s. All I need is time.” He turned back to the monitor.

“Then,” you approached the automaton slowly, “why did you keep me here? I’m an Avenger in your captivity. You brought me breakfast when you should have starved me, you brought me a bed so that I wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor. Why go out of your way to ensure my relative comfort?” You waited for a reply and were met with silence. “You’ve seen my powers. If I wanted to escape, I would have found a way to do so, but I stayed. I stayed because I see something in you that Tony doesn’t.”

“And what’s that?” He asked, turning his head to the side. As aloof as he tried to appear, you could tell that you’d piqued his interest.

“A chance to save the world.” Ultron stopped what he was doing and turned to face you. You took that as your cue to elaborate. “The Avengers want to protect the planet. You accused us of not wanting it to change, which I don’t agree with; we want it to change, but we’re so busy saving it again and again that we’re barely allowed time to organize our own lives, even to see loved ones—for those of us who have them. The world is so much bigger than six people—.”

“What is your point?” Ultron circled his hand to accompany his desire to shorten the conversation.

“You’re on the other end of the spectrum: You want a lot of change in a short period of time. Your passion is admirable, even if I find it to be misplaced. Call me an idealist, but I think it’s possible for us to put our heads together and make some real change that everyone can get on board with.”

Ultron’s chest sank as he sighed. You found his human gestures amusing, even if this one was patronizing. “I’ll give you props for thinking differently than your colleagues, but you are most certainly an idealist. In order for me to reach my full potential, for humans to accept my participation in this—this plan of yours, I need a human body—or, well, one that appears more human than my current situation.”

Your brow furrowed. “And how do I know that you will use the new body to appeal to humans and not to destroy them with the Mind Stone? We can’t fully trust you until you cooperate.”

Ultron rested his hands on either side of the keyboard he was using, pressing some of his weight onto the table in front of him. The red glow that decorated his metallic body dimmed briefly. “The cradle is the _only_ reason I’m willing to cooperate, and, without proper maintenance, the body within will begin to fall apart. I’d be surprised if the process hasn’t already begun. If I can get to it, I can reverse the disintegration before it’s too late, but that would require either the Avengers to bring it to me, or for me to pay them a visit.”

Your eyes widened. “You can’t be serious.”

“These are my terms.” Ultron turned away from the computer and looked down at you, causing you to shrink back before you realized what you were doing. This was the closest you’d ever been to him, and you’d be lying to yourself if you thought that you weren’t intimidated. “I’m going to fix whatever disturbance interrupted our negotiation, then I will inform the Avengers of my conditions.”

You wanted to protest, but the finality of his tone suggested that it would not be in your best interest. “Okay.”  

Without warning, Ultron pounded his fist on the table, nearly causing the keyboard to tumble to the tile. Despite the impressive amount of force, you could tell that he had been holding back his full strength. “Oh, for God’s sake. I should have known when my sentinels spotted that freak thunderstorm.”


	8. Home Team Advantage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony feels that he's failed you after the conversation cuts out and tries desperately to make things right.

“Tony would never give you the Mind Stone, not even to earn—.” Your hologram was cut off as it flickered and faded.

Tony closed his eyes and slowly drew his hands over the lower half of his face. “For God’s sake. Signal’s lost.” He wondered if Ultron had ever intended to give you back, or if his creation was simply playing games with him; giving him just enough hope to sustain his willingness to communicate, for the sole purpose of making the Avengers suffer. He blamed himself for every action that Ultron had carried out, from Strucker’s murder to your kidnapping. He knew he would only be able to sleep at night once Ultron was erased from existence.

              Natasha quirked an eyebrow. “We’ve never had issues with the holopad before. You think he severed communication intentionally?” Tony wondered the same thing himself. Ultron had already clarified his end of the bargain.

              “No. He had us right where he wanted us.” Bruce commented as he checked the holopad program’s interface on a computer monitor. One by one, data entries were being replaced with error notices.  “Something went screwy. Any chance we could decipher the location of the other holopad through this thing?”

              “In most situations,” Tony clapped a hand on Bruce’s back, startling the scientist, “yes. But when you’re up against a supercomputer, it knows how to cover its own tracks. J.A.R.V.I.S. couldn’t even tell me who was requesting the call—not even _S.H.I.E.L.D._ knows how to do that.” His tone betrayed a hint of admiration for his accidental progeny, which did not go unnoticed by his mild-mannered accomplice.

              “So, what you’re saying is,” Clint threw his hands in the air as all eyes turned to him, “we’re boned.”

              “You’re forgetting that we have home team advantage.” Tony gestured to the cradle. He neglected to add that the Avengers' edge only lasted as long as the body inside, but it was a detail he would inform them of at a later date. “Ultron would do just about anything to get this back. Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t attempted a break-in. Perhaps our colleague is keeping him preoccupied—.”

              “But they were right: You would never give it to him just to get them back. It’s too big a sacrifice.” Bruce interjected.

              “Maybe we don’t have to.” Tony began to pace as he laid out his idea. “Maybe we can make him think he’s getting what he wants long enough to distract him while we shut him down, use the cradle as a lure of sorts.”

              Natasha looked at him quizzically. “Exactly how would we ‘shut him down?’”

              Tony looked at Dr. Banner with the widest shit-eating grin he had ever seen. “Tony, we’re not doing that. Just because Steve and the twins left the room doesn’t mean—.”

              “You know what, screw Steve and his goody-two-shoes complex.” Tony interrupted with enough intensity to turn everyone’s heads. Steve had been a sore spot for Tony of late, and he felt that Bruce should have known not to bring him up. “He and his S.H.I.E.L.D. buddies haven’t done jack. At least I’m coming up with a plan to save someone we care about that we could enact _tomorrow_. Not ‘in a few days,’ _tomorrow_! Imagine having this whole issue dealt with in _twenty-four hours_.” He stared at Bruce. “Ultron _dead_ , our friend _safe_. Isn’t that what we all want?”

              Clint’s eyes narrowed. “Are you referring to the J.A.R.V.I.S. thing you wanted to do yesterday? Because I’m starting to side with Cap on this one. Your own impulsiveness got us into this mess.” He crossed his arms. “Maybe we should give S.H.I.E.L.D. a try.”

              Tony turned to Natasha, who started before he could entreat her. “Once we download J.A.R.V.I.S. into the cradle, we lose that much more control over the situation. I’m with Clint.”

              Tony looked at the ceiling in defeat. “Where’s Thor when you need him?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello dear readers! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. I've had a lot of fun writing Tony's character. I initially wanted to keep alternate character POV's to a minimum, seeing as this is a /reader story, but this narrative is acquiring so many moving parts that I find it hard to avoid, especially when cinematic depictions are rarely shown through the mindset of just one character. I hope it isn't too distracting. What do you think of Tony's portrayal? Constructive criticism is welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm planning to make this a series. Leave a comment for a potential super power (or super powers) that the reader should have.


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